Tag: tech comm

What can I do to prepare myself for graduate school in engineering?

There are things you can do now to prepare for graduate school.

Participate in undergraduate research

This is important. A PhD or thesis masters is a research degree, and doing research as an undergraduate can open many doors. This is true even if you eventually decide to do a coursework masters. We recommend looking for opportunities at Michigan Tech, and off-campus at another university, business, or research lab.

Take additional math classes

Graduate engineering classes are very math intensive and so additional math courses work can help prepare you. Statistics is useful in almost all areas. Dr. Morrison also has some recommendations.

Practice your writing and presenting skills

You need these skills to be successful in graduate school and your career. If you participate in undergraduate research there are opportunities to present a poster of your research during department events, campus events, and professional conferences.

Keep your books

Your books and notes will be useful for reviewing core engineering topics when you’re taking the more advanced graduate courses.

Attend research seminars and graduate defenses

These events happen on campus throughout the year and are open to the public. Look for posters and emails announcing them. Seek out presentations in areas that interest you, even if they are in other departments. Research is interdisciplinary and the things you learn and people you meet could help you in the future.

What do I do now that CM 3410 Tech Comm is no longer offered?

The faculty have decided to merge the tech comm topics into transport lab to better help you with the communication of engineering topics.

Effective Fall 2018, CM 3410 Tech Comm will no longer be offered and CM 3215 Transport Lab will be changed to a 3 credit course.  Because of this change you must now have UN 1015 Compositions done before taking CM 3215 Transport Lab, and you need to have CM 3215 Transport Lab done before taking CM 4110 Unit Operations Lab and CM 4855 ChE Design I.

If you have taken both CM 3410 and CM 3215 then you are unaffected by this change.

If you have taken CM 3410 and you take the 3-credit version of CM 3215 then you can use the additional credit towards your technical electives or free electives, if needed.  Send an email to cmadvise@mtu.edu to have this change made to your degree audit.

For students who started at Michigan Tech prior to Fall 2018, if you have not taken CM 3410 then you have a choice.  You can either take a technical elective or HU 3120, the Humanities tech comm course, as a substitute for CM 3410.  Send an email to cmadvise@mtu.edu to have this change made to your degree audit.  If you choose to take HU 3120 as a substitute for CM 3410 then it cannot be used towards your general education HASS requirements.

For students who start at Michigan Tech during Fall 2018 or later, you will be on the new curriculum that no longer requires CM 3410.